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2023 Does the Class Hold, Improve, or Drop?

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MikeCane18 said:
We absolutely need to hit the portal hard. Some of the young guys just won’t be physically ready to contribute right off the bat. WR, CB, DT, Edge rusher need to be huge focus.
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This is exactly the class. Recruiting class is for future seasons with maybe a handful seeing the field in '23. Immediate contributors for next season have to come from the portal & feel good about Mario & staff smashing it.
 
90scane said:
Yet, TB was one of the last "speed smurfs" that we've signed. WHY?! This is why I'm ok with them taking a kid like Ford every year. I'd prefer someone in that elite speed market but I'll also take one with crazy moves.
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I could be wrong but I think a few of the guys here mentioned Ford is more about being shifty than he is about being a speed demon. With that said, feel like he is still plenty fast.
 
Mklein13 said:
We need speed all over. When's the last speedster we had? Jeff Thomas?
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Jeff Thomas didn't have top-end speed. He just was effortless in and out of his cuts which made it hard for defenders to keep up.
AR wasn't a smurf but he would be another I'd put in that category speed and effortless in and out of cuts.

We haven't had a sub 10.5 guy in a LONG time but someone may throw a name out that I forgot.
 
90scane said:
Jeff Thomas didn't have top-end speed. He just was effortless in and out of his cuts which made it hard for defenders to keep up.
AR wasn't a smurf but he would be another I'd put in that category speed and effortless in and out of cuts.

We haven't had a sub 10.5 guy in a LONG time but someone may throw a name out that I forgot.
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Dorsett was probably the last guy who was a burner. Herb Waters maybe?
 
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Mklein13 said:
We need speed all over. When's the last speedster we had? Jeff Thomas?
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I will never forget JT leaving the fastest HS AAs in his wake during practices leading up to the Under Armor game in Orlando. (I specifically took 2 days off to watch him.) He Won the Fastest man Award during that week...he Destroyed every 4 and 5* DBs during that entire week...then had the crowd in a frenzy during the game to earn MVP Honors. I know things didn't turn out well at UM...but the catch vs FSU in between 2 defenders, literally was the reason we won the game. He made an Elite LSU secondary look silly as well.
 
90scane said:
Jeff Thomas didn't have top-end speed. He just was effortless in and out of his cuts which made it hard for defenders to keep up.
AR wasn't a smurf but he would be another I'd put in that category speed and effortless in and out of cuts.

We haven't had a sub 10.5 guy in a LONG time but someone may throw a name out that I forgot.
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Jeff Thomas didn't have top-end Speed??...C'mon man....Stop it...he left the Fastest of the Fast AAs like it was nothing at the Under Armor practices...and the game itself. Both in the 40 and 100....
 
SWFLHurricane said:
I will never forget JT leaving the fastest HS AAs in his wake during practices leading up to the Under Armor game in Orlando. (I specifically took 2 days off to watch him.) He Won the Fastest man Award during that week...he Destroyed every 4 and 5* DBs during that entire week...then had the crowd in a frenzy during the game to earn MVP Honors. I know things didn't turn out well at UM...but the catch vs FSU in between 2 defenders, literally was the reason we won the game. He made an Elite LSU secondary look silly as well.
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I've been following his high school since like 2007 so I was very familiar with him during his time at East St Louis. Jeff started as a freshman and I knew he was going to be a stud come senior year. Had his fair share of issues but I also think not having a good qb and OC really messed with him. Think if he went somewhere like OSU or Oklahoma he would have been in a better mental state. Winning games and getting the ball a ton.
 
Mklein13 said:
I've been following his high school since like 2007 so I was very familiar with him during his time at East St Louis. Jeff started as a freshman and I knew he was going to be a stud come senior year. Had his fair share of issues but I also think not having a good qb and OC really messed with him. Think if he went somewhere like OSU or Oklahoma he would have been in a better mental state. Winning games and getting the ball a ton.
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The Okie Doak, Dead Leg he put on the DB at the Under Armor Game for a TD (one of 2) had people's Jaws on the ground...
 
Improve.

One thing Mario can for sure do is recruit his *** off and bring in high end blue chip kids…
 
SWFLHurricane said:
Jeff Thomas didn't have top-end Speed??...C'mon man....Stop it...he left the Fastest of the Fast AAs like it was nothing at the Under Armor practices...and the game itself. Both in the 40 and 100....
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Everything you said about JT in HS is correct. I was also at the fastest man competition and agree he was the best player on the field and it was not close. But he was also more quick than fast (he was plenty fast but his quickness was on another level), the acceleration in and out of his cuts, or ability to change direction and reach top speed that quickly is what really set him different.

But I also agree when he was here the top end speed was missing and it also was at the combine. Whether it was lack of preparation, coaching, game planning, QB play or training or just a bad day idk.

At the fastest man if you had to bet on his combine time 3-4 years later you likely estimate what? a 4.3 or low 4.4 at WORST? He ran a 4.46 and 4.51, while also being the smallest WR there at 5'9 170lbs. With that size he needed to crush the speed drills and was not even in the top 10.
 
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SWFLHurricane said:
Jeff Thomas didn't have top-end Speed??...C'mon man....Stop it...he left the Fastest of the Fast AAs like it was nothing at the Under Armor practices...and the game itself. Both in the 40 and 100....
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So he got slower at Miami and only ran a 4.45?
 
SWFLHurricane said:
Hope that hushed up the "He didn't have Top End Speed" crowd....He made a mockery of DBs at UA practices as you plainly can see.
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His ability to get open was on another level. Everyone ******* about that muffed punt in 2019 but his hands were legit. I don't think he dropped anything in the 3 years being here.
 
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